The Shaman of the Whills (Maranguan Chronicles: Book 3)
by Aria Breuer
Summary: While on hyperspace route back to the planet Zafna, Parker Dooley and his apprentice Qua'ra are sent to the Force Planet, the Wellspring of Life, where they encounter the Whills and the fate of Qua'ra's father is revealed. Sequel to 'The Shadow Empire'.
1. A Vortex Detour

**Disclaimers:** I do not own _The Lord of the Rings_ and "Star Wars". They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, George Lucas, and Disney. All canon material belongs to their respected owners. All original material belongs to me, the authoress of this fanfiction story.

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Welcome to the final part of my fanfiction mini-trilogy, _The Maranguan Chronicles_. :) While this isn't the end of my Origin Series, part of my Long Series, this will, hopefully, tie up some loose ends. As for this story, it's going to focus on a canon character that doesn't have a lot of backstory in the "Star Wars" galaxy. So, keep a lookout for him. :)

So, without further, ado, I present _The Shaman of the Whills_.

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 _Before the First World's existence, the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea created the Whills. The Whills were connected to the Force, an ancient power connected to all living beings. For a time, the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea enjoyed hearing tales spun by the Whills, for their wisdom was great and true beyond measure._

 _The Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea hoped for better things when he and Aslan created the First World, the world that began the Universe. Sadly, this was not meant to last._

 _Before the hour when Aslan gave the Dalmatian Janus her name and before the pointy-eared dog Maximus started Death's journey into the Universe, the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea entrusted the Whills not to commit treason against Him. He hadn't planned on a Shaman of the Whills, a man of great wisdom and to fall in love with the purple dragonoid Helen._

 _It was well into their marriage, when Helen was pregnant, that the Shaman learned this dragonoid was a shapeshifter, much like himself. How treacherous! So thoughtless! The wisdom he knew was sapped. This was the first time that wisdom could be proven wrong. And so, the Shaman sent Helen into the escape pod, taking their human daughters with her. He had no idea of the consequences of his actions until it was too late._

~o~

Parker Dooley clicked the nearest button. His disc-like ship, with its red outer shell, had seen so much in its metallic lifetime. The new walls and metal floors were treated with care, as was the hidden rooms underneath the floor. Parker couldn't recall a time when his ship didn't fall to ruin. That was a treat! But it also made the hobbit wonder if it was worth it.

Parker, in his human form, looked and behaved like a hobbit. He had thick, curly brown hair on his head and the tops of his feet. His eyes were as blue as the bright blue sky. His facial features, even in his dragonoid form, were fair and rugged. He had pale skin, a little lighter from spending much of his time indoors, while planning meetings with various shapeshifters, who were part of his empire, the Shadow Empire as it was called.

His main form was that of a red dragonoid, who looked human in height and yet retained lizard-like features. He had a thin, muscular frame in his human-hobbit form and his dragonoid form. His head was dragon-like, complete with a short snout, yellow eyes with swirling red mist in the irises, revealing his evil counterpart Maranguan still lurking inside him, a medium-sized tail that naturally curled around his feet, black claws, and black spikes that flowed down his back to his tail.

The other added feature to his scaly skin, even reaching his human-hobbit skin, was the scars and burn marks that appeared on half of his body. Some of the scars and burn marks had vanished some time ago, while the rest remained. Aslan promised him that his scars would go away when he did a good deed, whenever that was.

He sighed upon seeing his scars and burn marks. It saddened him when he remembered how he got the scars and burn marks. The memory was so vivid, but painful. He heard screams of Vitiate's soldiers as they fell, crippled by the dark power festering inside him. Then it was over. The soldiers were dead, but it wasn't enough. Parker, in his red dragonoid form, let out a blood-curdling scream, allowing his body to ignite, burn until long jagged scars, tiny scars, and burn marks showed up all over his body and face. By the time it was over, his eyes turned red, bloodshot red, while the whites in his eyes turned a sickly pink color. He shivered in horror at the memory, not wanting to return to his wicked ways ever again!

He was donned in a long blue cape, a long blue jacket, a white tunic, and a pair of brown trousers. All his new clothing kept him from seeing the scars and burn marks, even though the pain still resided, hurting him and reminding him of the terror that was Maranguan, the evil-dragonoid-turned-grey. So far, the cape and trousers were a little dirty at the bottoms, due to his travel on the planet Lehon, where he was captured by the Rakata and sent into one of their cages. He was thankful for Qua'ra for releasing him from his cage. He needed her, now more than ever. As any friend would need from their companion.

He sat in the captain's chair, inside the cockpit of his ship, admiring the swirling bluish-white light coming from the hyperspace route. There was the co-pilot's chair nearby, where his apprentice Qua'ra sat.

Qua'ra, in her human form, the form that she was in now, was fair-faced and had a thin frame, thanks to the exercise she did to help her when she wanted to transform into the light brown lioness form Scar-ra, as Parker named her. Jagged scars strewn across Qua'ra's body and tail in this form, but somehow those scars appeared on her human form, sometimes without reason. Her skin was pale, if not a little tanned from being outdoors a lot. Her long brunette hair was straight and flowed down her back. Her hair windblown from hers and Parker's experience with the Rakata soldiers – aliens with tridactyl limbs, smooth skin, and horizontal eyestalks – and the Eldest Rakata, who seemed to know everything about them. As for her eyes, they were green as diamonds, keeping a mystery that Parker had yet to find out.

The clothes Qua'ra wore were a furry brown jacket, a white shirt, a brown pair of pants, and black sports shoes, which were really comfortable. So comfortable she didn't want to take them off – not that she wanted to! It was just that she was on a ship and in the co-pilot's chair, checking on the ship to make sure everything was in order, like it was supposed to be.

~o~

Parker checked the coordinates. He was quite certain he and Qua'ra were nearing their destination. The wormhole would take them back to the planet Zafna, where their base resided. Parker sighed, wondering if he would see his wife, Eliza, again.

They hadn't met since Parker turned evil, turned into the dark dragonoid Maranguan. Oh, how he missed her! He would have to thank the golden-brown lion, Corin, for blocking him before he attacked his wife. If it wasn't for that choice, Parker wouldn't have gone grey, between the light and the dark.

He looked at Qua'ra now in curiosity. "The wormhole should be here!" He tapped the smaller screen with his index finger. "This is where we were. Close to Coruscant and nowhere near Lehon."

"I hope you're right," Qua'ra said, calmly. She admitted, "I was too busy saving your life. I couldn't believe the Rakata confused you for another hobbit. Let alone a famous one, such as Tobias." Her brow furrowed, quizzically. "I wonder what happened to them. Tobias and Janet."

"I don't know," Parker said, concerned. The last he heard about Janet, the Dalmatian turned into a human woman, and her hobbit husband Tobias was their time spent in Lehon went from good to bad. He couldn't believe Tobias had been the wolf that attacked the Rakata! Would he ever meet Tobias and Janet? Would they know who he was? He sighed, wondering if he would learn more about them.

He looked up upon seeing a vortex along the bluish-white hyperspace wall. He almost recognized the vortex until it changed from dark to a golden color. Before he had time to question it, the ship hurled its way towards the wormhole, unable to escape its vacuum. It was too late to turn back!

"What's going on?" Qua'ra shrieked, trying a few buttons.

"I think we're being pulled through!" He released his grip on a lever, but not before trying out another button. He jumped for joy when the ship responded to his button pushing. "Yes! We're just—"

 _Whack!_

"Father!" Qua'ra cried out to the air.

Parker's head swam viciously. His hand fell from the controls, landing limply on the chair. He looked up. The last thing he saw, before fainting, was a creature wearing a dark robe and a gold mask, staring down at him in interest and intrigue.

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Thanks for reading. :)

 **References:**

Aslan is the Great Lion from C.S. Lewis' book series, _The Chronicles of Narnia_.


	2. The Wellspring of Life

Sorry for the delay. I was taking a break and updating my fanfics. :) Thanks goes to Adeleidhis and WingedIceWolf for helping me out with this chapter. :)

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"Do you know where you are?"

That voice. That masculine voice drove Parker's thoughts back to the present. One thing didn't make sense. The moment he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by starlight, followed by an expanse of space. He stood on a platform, invisible to his eyes, but clear as the moonlight. He stood up now, surprised to see that he was in his dragonoid form.

He looked around in distraught, confused by the setting. "Where are we?" He asked the masked man.

"Where do you think we are?" The masked man asked, courteously. "This is the World Between Worlds or at least one World Between Worlds. There are others like it. This one resides in space, but time shares no meaning for this world."

"Who are you?" Parker asked, determined to get the masked man, the one he saw just before he fell unconscious, to speak. "You didn't tell me your name."

The masked man sighed. "I am Qua'ra's father. The Shaman of the Whills. Or at least, one Shaman of the Whills. Generations will know me by that name, for I have earned immorality, and I am here to assist you."

"What about your daughter? Doesn't she need you?" Parker asked, curious.

"Qua'ra has a touchy past," the Shaman said, sighing.

"The one you put her through," Parker said, serious. "Why didn't you tell her who you really are?"

"Because she knows and is speaking to me now," the Shaman told him, looking at him in the eyes. "While she talks with me in one realm, the Wellspring of Life, I will reside to speaking to you here, in this realm where all storylines connect. The Universe has need of this realm."

"Why are we here?" Parker asked, concerned.

"Oh, to show you one path you could take to gain immortality if you desire it," the Shaman nodded.

"I didn't ask for that!" Parker cried, deliberately. "All I want to do is go home. Isn't there a way to do so?"

"Your home may not be the same." The Shaman shook his head. "It is for this reason that I am protecting both you and Qua'ra, as well as showing you two new paths to take."

"She'll never forgive you for abandoning her," Parker said, sharply. "You betrayed your family, all because we're shapeshifters! Or did you want to be the only shapeshifter in the worlds?"

The Shaman sighed in defeat. "You're right." He faced him again. "I made that terrible mistake years ago. I thought by serving myself, I would make a good father. I saw the seed of evil in Helen. I wanted to prevent her from destroying the First World. I made the mistake of giving Qua'ra and her sister Kat'ka to her, along with our unborn child. Now, we'll never know what became of him or where he went.

"I need your help." He said, concerned.

"Why?" Parker asked, cautious. "Why should I help you?"

"Because if you don't, more lives will be at stake," the Shaman said, serious. "Do you really think Helen's bloodline will stop with her? Oh no! Watch who you ally with, my daughter especially. If you've seen that twinge of mischievousness in her eyes, you'll know she was trained by her mother to do wicked things, if not more so. Kat'ka is no different. That scarred lions and lionesses' army was the tool they needed to take over your empire, and your empire will fall. It is woven throughout time. Qua'ra must be stopped. Kat'ka must be stopped, as do their husband and fiancé.

"I made that mistake of sending them away." He shook his head. "Not everything is as you have seen. Some friends will have to be tested. I was doing the right thing the moment I saw Helen's wickedness. It didn't belong in the First World, and it never will be there. This I promise you."

"You haven't changed. I know that to be true," Parker said, turning around towards the portal, witnessing his conversation with Qua'ra and the Shaman on the Force Planet.

"You may go back but know that it won't change anything. Qua'ra's intentions have always been there," the Shaman said, cautious.

Parker faced him, curtly, "Then I'll make sure to get back safely. Goodbye Shaman. May we never meet again."

"You'll regret those words, and you will come back to me," the Shaman said, watching the dragonoid go through the portal, transforming into the curly-haired hobbit the moment he landed on a floating island underneath the surface of the Wellspring of Life.

~o~

Parker grimaced the second he landed on shore. Before him was a pool of crystal clear water. He peered to his left, stunned to see Qua'ra speaking with the Shaman, laughing as if she was already engaged in a meaningful conversation. He stood up, stunned to see Qua'ra face him so suddenly.

"Father, you didn't tell me Parker was awake," Qua'ra said, giggling mischievously.

"And so he is, my dear. So he is," the Shaman said, gently touching Qua'ra's jaw. "You musn't press him. I only want what is best for you."

"What's going on?" Parker asked, concerned. He faced Qua'ra, stunned by her wicked appearance. "You. You betrayed me?"

"Ohh," Qua'ra pouted innocently. Her smile returned, cunning and bold. "Did you really think I'd drag you all the way out here, without a few plans of my own? The Shadow Empire is the perfect realm for me to go, to build my own reign. I trust that'll be all right with you. After all, you did allow my family to create the scarred lions and lionesses' army. It was the perfect ploy to double-cross you."

"I told you to watch your allies," the Shaman glided around him. "They might betray you in the end."

"No!" Parker said, hardly believing a word. He told Qua'ra, shocked, "I trusted you and you dragged me out here! How could you do that?"

"Parker, it's this island," the Shaman whispered in his ear. "You must face these fears. I will guide you, but you must be the one to face them. Qua'ra included. She will have that empire either way. You know that to be true. Kill her and become the dragonoid you were born to be."

Qua'ra smiled wickedly. "What are you waiting for? Kill me!" She pulled out her sword, charging towards the hobbit in rage.

"Qua'ra, this isn't like you! Qua'ra, come back to me!" Parker brandished his sword, blocking her blows as hard and as he could. To no avail, he couldn't defeat her or Maranguan's shadow, gliding in out of nowhere to stop him. Yes, it was now Maranguan that controlled Qua'ra. Parker couldn't stop them, but he would figure out a way to do so!

"You're nothing without me! Nothing!" Maranguan said, cackling. "We've seen evil in your heart and you are weak. You're a weakling, with nothing but his pride and the way you've managed to crawl into these women's lives. It's confusing, isn't it?" He chirped, laughing, "Or maybe you would like to ask your wife yourself, why you've disguised yourself as a human. Do you intend to stay a human, a hobbit? You'd be no better than Tobias was when he transformed into the Wolf. It's so… sinister, if you think about it.

"Go on, ask her yourself," Maranguan said, moving Qua'ra back to reveal a brunette-haired woman with green eyes, fair features, and dressed in a brown furry dress. Parker stared at her as if he had seen a ghost, but one that he loved. The woman crept towards him, smiling innocently at him. "This is your wife. Take her now and end your pain, end your suffering!"

Parker gulped. He hadn't expected to see his wife look so beautiful. Oh, how he wanted to hold her, wrap his arms around her, embrace her, and not let her go. A tear trickled down his cheek. Oh, how he wanted to believe this was real. He shook his head, realizing this island was filled with illusions. "No. I won't fall for this. I won't!"

Eliza took a few steps back, transforming into a shadow. Parker dropped his sword, ready to face these dark spirits without fighting.

"You can't harm me," he said, calmly. "I won't let you, but I won't fight you! All of you! This is where I part ways with my evil half!"

"I was never evil to begin with," Maranguan admitted, truthfully. "You should have seen this coming." He snarled, stepping closer to Parker. "But you'll have to face evil sooner or later. Prove that you can fight! Prove it, Parker!" He flicked Parker onto the ground. Parker took his weapon, doing his best to defend himself. In one swift action, his blade pierced Maranguan's stomach. The dark shadows were gone. Parker pulled back his sword, stunned by what he had done.

Maranguan collapsed on the ground, smiling, "You passed the test. You've proven to the Shaman who you truly are. The Shaman of the Whills won't harm his daughter and you know that. Qua'ra isn't who you think she is, but she is willing to rule the Shadow Empire until it falls or until she goes mad. The world is filled with grey light, that shows no light nor darkness than us. You have the power to change things throughout the Ages. The upcoming Ages. The second you make that sacrifice, you won't need a weapon to do that. You'll be restored to your old self, if not changed for the better or for the worse, depending on your view.

"Goodbye. Good luck with your quest to defeat Vitiate and his soldiers," Maranguan lowered his head, vanishing into a thick smoke, same with Eliza and the Shadow Qua'ra. Parker turned to the real Qua'ra, who lay unconscious on the sand. Parker dived for her, setting his weapon aside, and placed his hand on the back of her head.

"Qua'ra? Qua'ra, wake up! We did it! We got here," Parker said with a sigh, glad that was over.

"What did we win?" Qua'ra asked, groggily. She looked around in confusion. "How did we get here? The last thing I remember, we met my father, the Shaman of the Whills. Then there was nothing."

"I think he's here," Parker said, gesturing to the Shaman, who glided down to them.

"Congratulations Parker Dooley. You passed the first test in your journey to immortality," the Shaman said, enlightened.

"Wait a second. What about me?" Qua'ra asked, confused. "Don't I get a say in this, father?"

"We'll discuss your terms later, my dear. You already have the gift of long life. That should be enough for you for a while," the Shaman said, giving the final word.

"Yes father," Qua'ra bowed, uncertain. She looked at Parker, asking him, "So, what's next?"

"Now," Parker said with a warm sigh, "we head for home. We head back to base and don't stop there."

"I like that plan," Qua'ra said, smiling warmly at him.

"Me too," the Shaman nodded. "The sooner you leave, the better."

"Right. Let's go," Parker said, helping Qua'ra onto her feet and back to the ship, which was still intact and on the island's shore. Now, they just hoped that nothing else intruded on their journey back to base. Or so they hoped.


	3. Epilogue: Reconciliation

This is the last chapter for this story and this fanfiction mini-trilogy.

*.*.*

The trip through the hyperspace route, to the wormhole route that Parker knew from Qua'ra to be the route back to base, to the planet Zafna, the atmosphere inside the ship was calm but chilling. Parker looked at Qua'ra, noticing she was silent, wondering if there was something she needed to get off her chest. He had to get her to say something about what happened in the Wellspring of Life, the Force Planet that glowed gold and was full of life.

Or so it seemed.

"Qua'ra, what happened back there?" Parker asked her, cautious with his words. "Your father wanted to protect you, but he may the wrong choices. It just proves that he's not perfect, at least not as perfect as you think he is."

"He comes from the Wellspring of Life," Qua'ra said, softly. "I can assure you there's darkness as well as life on that planet, but it's as pure as they come. My father made mistakes like we do, but he's gained something we have yet to achieve. He gave me long life, same as my family. We were destined to rule the Shadow Empire, taking your place over time." She added out of reassurance, "But only when you're ready to give up the throne, then Gore will take over as emperor."

"So, there's nothing we can do about it?" Parker asked, curious.

"No, there isn't," Qua'ra said, shyly. "My father is a Whill. The shapeshifters were born from the Whills. You have that ability, too. It was a gift the Whills gave to you when you were an egg." She admitted, "I was there when my father gave that gift to you. He said that you were special, that you would be in the grey, a grey dragonoid or halfling, whichever you prefer. You'd be a great asset to us all if only you could only accept it."

She added, "I'm not sure what else will happen to you, what you will become, but you didn't turn evil for no reason. In fact, you were a pretty awesome villain."

"Thank you," Parker said with a warm smile. He regretted that smile afterwards. "Maybe I shouldn't take credit for that. In fact," he sighed in defeat, "I wonder how my family is doing. It's been so long since I've seen them."

"If anything, they'll welcome you home. You only need to tell me when you want, in order to defeat Vitiate. Then Gore and I will take over the Shadow Empire," Qua'ra said, calmly.

"You've thought this one out, haven't you?" Parker said, cautious.

"I like to think ahead. It helps me think," Qua'ra shrugged.

"Well, don't think too hard. You'll give yourself a headache," Parker chuckled.

"You're wise." She smiled. "I hope you do well for Ages to come."

"I might learn more lessons from your father." He added, "This isn't over, not for me. I know it's not."

"He'll teach you well. I'm sure he will," Qua'ra said with a warm smile, glancing at the controls.

"I hope you're right," Parker said, ending the conversation.

He looked out the cockpit window, pushing the lever up to find they were out of the wormhole and back to the planet Zafna with its rich, green landscape and stone temples built throughout the land. Parker glided his ship down to the planet's surface, right into his temple's hangar and docking it there.

He sighed, glad to be back at base, but sad that his time would come when he would lose this empire, lose his title as emperor, all for the sake of keeping the Whills' dynasty in line. He waited until Qua'ra was down the ship's ramp, before joining her, deciding to ask her a more pressing question.

"Hey Qua'ra," Parker hesitated, gathering his courage, "what do you think became of Janet and Tobias? Or even my wife and my son? I don't even know where they are or what they are doing at this moment."

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll find them," Qua'ra said, walking away from the ship. "Oh, and I'll be learning the ropes some more with Gore. I trust we'll go through training with you before we take over. That is if you want to train us."

Parker nodded. "Sure. Why not?" He joined her, walking with her through the temple and into the grand war room, where holoterminals were placed throughout the large room. "It'll keep us busy."

"Sir, the war council is ready, waiting for your orders," a male purple dragonoid approached the two, speaking directly to the hobbit.

Parker sighed, realizing this war against Vitiate wasn't over. It had only just begun. But he wouldn't give up hope. No. He would see his family again and defeat Vitiate, up until his last breath was drawn.

*.*.*

That's it for my fanfiction mini-trilogy, _The Maranguan Chronicles_. :) This isn't the end of my Origin Series, but we are drawing closer to the end of my Before the First Age Anthology, part of my Origin Series and my Long Series. :)

Thanks everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to read this fanfic until the end. It is much appreciated. :)

Now that _The Maranguan Chronicles_ is finished, I'm going to return to my other fanfiction mini-trilogy, _The Rogue Warriors_ , where we catch up with Janet, her daughter Anabeth, Eliza, the lion Corin, and Parker and Eliza's son Maxin.

Thanks for reading. :) I'll see everyone in the next story. Bye! :)

 _Aria Breuer_


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